INDIA (West Bengal - Calcutta) 2006, Bengali people offering water to their ancestors on the occassion of Mahalaya at the sacred river Ganges on the last new moon day before Durga Puja. This day symbolises the start of the ritualistic festival. Durga Puja Festival is the biggest festival among bengalies. As Calcutta is the capital of West Bengal and cultural hub of the bengali community Durga puja is held with the maximum pomp and vigour. Ritualistic worship, food, drink, new clothes,...more »

INDIA (West Bengal - Calcutta) 2006, Bengali people offering water to their ancestors on the occassion of Mahalaya at the sacred river Ganges on the last new moon day before Durga Puja. This day symbolises the start of the ritualistic festival. Durga Puja Festival is the biggest festival among bengalies. As Calcutta is the capital of West Bengal and cultural hub of the bengali community Durga puja is held with the maximum pomp and vigour. Ritualistic worship, food, drink, new clothes, visiting friends and relatives places and merryment is a part of it. In this festival the hindus worship a ten handed godess riding on a lion armed wth all possible deadly ancient weapons along with her 4 children (Ganesha - God for sucess, Saraswati - Goddess for arts and education, Laxmi - Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Kartikeya - The god of manly hood and beauty). Durga is symbolised as the women power in Indian Mythology. In Calcutta people from all the religions enjoy these four days of festival in the moth of October. Now the religious festival has become the biggest cultural extravagenza of Calcutta the cultural capital of India. Artistry and craftsmanship can be seen in different sizes and shapes in form of the idol, the interior decor and as well as the pandals erected on the streets, roads and parks.- Arindam Mukherjee« less